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FIRST FREE FIELD IGNITION OF THE BILIQUID MINERVA ENGINE

A significant step has just been taken on MINERVA (biliquid engine) project

Indeed, the December 15th, 2015 around 3:30pm , a first free field ignition of the MLE5K-S1A engine was conducted. It has been under development since 2010.

Tests took place in Roxel (PERSEUS project partner) in Bourges with two propellant supply systems developed as part of the project (liquid oxygen and ethanol 95%) and these was made available by Roxel.
We first conducted flow coefficient tests of the injectors:

After validation of these, it was time to move on.

Here is the video of this first success for the MINERVA project (real time parameters are embedded into the video):

And that’s just the beginning ! Next steps promise to be very challenging.

Of course, a lot of developments are still remaining before going on test with combustion chamber, but this is a good reward for the work done during the past 5 years by the PERSEUS teams.

Congratulations and thank you to all experts, students and partners who have worked for the success of this great step, which was a first for PERSEUS !